The present invention relates generally to flexible mounting apparatus and particularly, to molded plastic interconnecting ball and socket elements in combination with opposing universally mountable base and universal coupler interconnected thereto.
Various couplers and especially those of ball and socket variety are generally known in this art. However, except for the inventor""s own ball-and-socket universally positionable mounting device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,885, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, the known couplers typically hold by friction and are prone to various degrees of slippage under load.
The present invention is a multi-positionable mounting device that provides a substantially stable, load-bearing but relatively adjustable ball and socket mounting device. The present invention provides a highly positionable mounting device formed of a base adapted for permanent mounting on a substantially flat surface and an equipment mounting element either directly interconnected or optionally interconnected by one or more rotatably interconnecting ball and socket elements.
According to one aspect of the invention, the interior surface of the socket is formed of first and second opposing part hemispherical socket portions that are relatively orientable with one another for forming therebetween a part spherical cavity which defines a spherical center point therein. The interior surface of the first socket portion is formed with multiple facets that are formed at a predetermined radial distance from a spherical center point of the part spherical cavity. A mechanical means secures the first and second opposing part hemispherical socket portions together in a relationship wherein the part spherical cavity is formed therebetween. A part-spherical coupler is provided that is sized to substantially fill the spherical cavity formed between the first and second opposing part hemispherical socket portions. The mechanical securing means applies clamping force that acts between the first and second opposing socket portions and secures the coupler therebetween in fixed orientation with one of the first and second socket portions.
According to one aspect of the invention, the facets on the interior surface of the first socket portion are each configured as substantially planar triangular facets arranged perpendicularly to the spherical center point of the part spherical cavity.
According to another aspect of the invention, the part-spherical coupler is formed as a substantially smooth, spherical shape of a pressure deformable, resilient elastomeric material, which renders it relatively radially compressible.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the part-spherical coupler is formed instead as a relatively incompressible material having a plurality of substantially planar triangular facets formed perpendicularly to and at a predetermined radial distance from a spherical center point of the coupler. The facets formed on the surface of the coupler are matched in size and shape to the facets on the interior surface of the first socket portion.